[2] It prompted evacuations in Caracas, and caused shaking in Colombia, Guyana, Brazil,[3][4] Grenada, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the last of which also suffered damage and brief phone and power outages from about 100 miles away.

[5][8] In terms of damage, concrete fell from the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper, blocking the sidewalk and closing traffic.

[22] The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre recorded aftershocks throughout the region from shortly after the main quake.

However, according to Randy Rodríguez, national director of Civil Protection, the Caracas fire service inspected the tower and deemed it has no threat of falling.

[28] Several sources questioned if the shaking could have disturbed Venezuela's extensive oil reserves, potentially damaging the industry in the country.

[33] A BBC Caribbean correspondent shared a photo of the Tower of David on Twitter, commenting that the abandoned bank building was "verging on collapse", describing it as an apt "economic metaphor" for Venezuela.

[35] The public of Venezuela also reacted in such fashion, with reports that there were many new "'what else could go wrong' memes", adding natural disasters to the list of growing crises of the nation, or comparing the earthquake to the new currency of the nation released that day, one tweet remarking on the devaluation by saying "Colombia: earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude according to the Richter magnitude scale.

[36] The BBC Venezuela correspondent said that the earthquake was actually welcome: that people "were amused by an event, which had distracted them from the tough realities of everyday life".

[37] The Governor of the US State of Florida, Rick Scott, said a few hours after the quake that he had spoken with Carlos Trujillo about the earthquake and that "[Venezuelan President] Maduro should allow aid into Venezuela so anyone who may be affected can get the proper help".

[38] The Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave travel warnings for Trinidad and Tobago, with the possibility of later adding them for Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana.

[39] A second earthquake occurred in the morning of the following day, slightly more central to Venezuela at 9 km West from Yaguaraparo, measuring 5.7 according to local reports but confirmed as 5.8 by the US Geological Survey.

[14] There had been multiple smaller aftershocks after the first earthquake, but this shock was registered as a distinct event, the Colombian Geological Service initially recording it as 5.9 magnitude.